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Former President Donald Trump has alleged “multiple arrests” for vandalism at the Reflecting Pool, linking the damage to the deterioration of a $14 million rehabilitation project. Despite his claims, which include the pool’s new blue lining peeling and algae returning, Trump has offered no substantiation, and law enforcement agencies have not commented.
One man arrested, David Hearn, stated he merely touched the peeling material out of curiosity, not vandalism. The incident has drawn significant attention, with Trump also referencing a prior “86 47” etching on the National Mall as evidence of malicious intent.
President Donald Trump recently ignited a fresh controversy by declaring that federal authorities had made "multiple arrests" tied to alleged vandalism at the iconic Reflecting Pool. This announcement came as the administration grappled with explaining why its $14-million-plus rehabilitation project for the nation's 250th anniversary seemed to have gone awry.
Trump had previously championed the project, vowing to transform the algae-stained green pool – a condition he attributed to his predecessors – into an "American flag blue" spectacle that would better mirror the Washington Monument. However, shortly after its unveiling, the new blue lining quickly reverted to a familiar green hue. Despite chemical treatments to combat the algae, the freshly painted blue bottom began to peel.
On Friday night, Trump took to his social media platform to address the mounting issues. "We've had some real problems with Vandalism at the beautiful Reflecting Pool," he posted. "Just like three days ago, they destroyed the grass outside of the Pool, they've also done everything possible to hurt the inside surface that was just installed." Notably, he provided no specific details or evidence to back these claims.
Agencies with oversight of the National Mall, including the U.S. Park Police, National Park Service, and Interior Department, remained silent when approached for comment. Undeterred, Trump followed up on Saturday, announcing that Park Police "have arrested multiple individuals for vandalizing our Nations magnificent Reflecting Poll," later correcting the spelling to "Pool." He ominously added, "Who would do such a thing? These are very serious crimes having to do with the destruction of National Monuments. Years in jail!"
Later, Trump conceded that the Reflecting Pool would require further repairs to restore it to "an equal level of Beauty." He stated, "We met with contractors today, will probably be forced to release and drain much of the water in order to do the necessary repairs, but will have them done as quickly as possible."
Among those arrested was David Hearn, 67, of Bethesda, Maryland, a former Olympic canoe racer and owner of a composite manufacturing company. Hearn recounted to The Associated Press that he stopped by the pool during a bike ride to observe the situation. He admitted to reaching into the water to examine the peeling coating, briefly touching a chunk still attached before a park worker intervened. Hearn was then detained by National Guard troops and Park Police for five hours before being released. "I'm a curious citizen," Hearn explained. "I reached down to see what it felt like. It was very rubbery." The Washington Post initially reported his arrest; Hearn now faces a court date next month and is seeking legal counsel.
Critics point out that even if individuals had pulled paint ribbons from the pool's sides, it wouldn't account for the widespread algae blooms, green water, or large swaths of detached blue paint from the bottom.
Trump continued to insist on nefarious activity, posting, "No different than the chemicals that were used on the National Mall, they used something similar in the Reflecting Pool to try to destroy and demean our beautiful work." This was an apparent allusion to the discovery of the numbers "86 47" etched into discolored grass on the National Mall the previous week. Authorities, investigating the possibility of a threat against Trump, the 47th president, noted that "86" can be slang for "getting rid of." Trump's claims have surfaced following days of intense media scrutiny and public interest in the pool's deteriorating condition.
